1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a positioning mechanism for positioning a palletized device in a processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In subjecting a device mounted on a pallet and transported by a conveyor for sequentially processing by different processing apparatuses installed at different processing stations, one previously proposed loading method transfers only the device from the pallet to the processing apparatus and positions the device on the processing apparatus. Another loading method transfers the pallet holding the device to the processing apparatus under the conditions wherein the pallet can be accurately positioned on the processing apparatus and the device is positioned accurately on the pallet. The former loading method requires the transfer of the device from the pallet to the processing apparatus and then from the processing apparatus to the pallet, at each processing station. This of course increases processing time. The latter loading method is difficult to implement because the error in positioning the device on the pallet and in positioning the pallet on the processing apparatus is far greater than the processing error incurred during the actual processing of the device.
In some cases, data representing the qualitative condition of adjustment of the device on the processing apparatus needs to be recorded, or the data of adjustment of the device in the preceding processes needs to be used. In such cases, adjustment data of the device needs to be written down or stored on a recording medium by an information recording apparatus, and preparatory work and determination of conditions for the adjustment of the device then needs to be carried out.